1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hearing aid systems. The invention more specifically relates to hearing aid systems, comprising a hearing aid and an external device, adapted for logging of hearing aid data and sound. The invention also relates to a method of fitting a hearing aid.
In the context of the present disclosure, a hearing aid should be understood as a small, battery-powered, microelectronic device designed to be worn behind or in the human ear by a hearing-impaired user. Prior to use, the hearing aid is adjusted by a hearing aid fitter according to a prescription. The prescription is based on a hearing test, resulting in a so-called audiogram, of the performance of the hearing-impaired user's unaided hearing. The prescription is developed to reach a setting where the hearing aid will alleviate a hearing loss by amplifying sound at frequencies in those parts of the audible frequency range where the user suffers a hearing deficit. A hearing aid comprises one or more microphones, a battery, a microelectronic circuit comprising a signal processor, and an acoustic output transducer. The signal processor is preferably a digital signal processor. The hearing aid is enclosed in a casing suitable for fitting behind or in a human ear.
As the name suggests, Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing aids are worn behind the ear. To be more precise an electronics unit comprising a housing containing the major electronics parts thereof is worn behind the ear. An earpiece for emitting sound to the hearing aid user is worn in the ear, e.g. in the concha or the ear canal. In a traditional BTE hearing aid, a sound tube is used because the output transducer, which in hearing aid terminology is normally referred to as the receiver, is located in the housing of the electronics unit. In some modern types of hearing aids a conducting member comprising electrical conductors is used, because the receiver is placed in the earpiece in the ear. Such hearing aids are commonly referred to as Receiver-In-The-Ear (RITE) hearing aids. In a specific type of RITE hearing aids the receiver is placed inside the ear canal. This is known as Receiver-In-Canal (RIC) hearing aids.
In-The-Ear (ITE) hearing aids are designed for arrangement in the ear, normally in the funnel-shaped outer part of the ear canal. This type of hearing aid requires a very compact design in order to allow it to be arranged in the ear canal, and to house the components necessary for operation of the hearing aid, such as microphones, a battery, a microelectronic circuit comprising a signal processor, and an acoustic output transducer.
In the context of the present disclosure, an external device should be understood as a small battery-powered microelectronic device adapted for facilitating interaction with the hearing aid.
2. The Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,487 discloses a hearing device that has a memory unit in which a multitude of data can be recorded.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,927 discloses a hearing aid system with an external device having a microphone for recording sound for subsequent analysis and evaluation by a circuit in the external device. Hereby a set of optimized control parameters corresponding to the recorded audio signal can be selected.
US-A1-2004/0190739 discloses a hearing aid having an external memory due to the limited memory size of the memory unit provided in the hearing device. It is described that acoustical signals recorded by the hearing aid microphone can be logged and stored either in the external or internal memory. It is claimed that recording of acoustical data is only possible in an external memory, due to the limited size of the internal memory and the energy supply required for maintaining a permanent recording in the hearing aid.
EP-A1-1367857 discloses a method of logging or recording input signal data of a hearing prosthesis in combination with values of one or several variables associated with the hearing prosthesis. The hearing prosthesis variable(s) may comprise logic states of a single or several user-controllable actuator(s) mounted on the prosthesis and/or values of algorithm parameters of a predetermined digital signal processing algorithm executed in the prosthesis. Hereby, error tracking and performance optimization are facilitated since anomalous or sub-optimal operating conditions of signal processing algorithms and/or user interface control handling or other undesired events may be detected. By recording both the hearing prosthesis variable or variables and the input signal data, it is e.g. possible to identify and track correlations between one or several predetermined signal events in the input signal data and effects to the operation of the hearing prosthesis derived there from.
EP-B1-1256258 discloses a method for fitting a hearing aid to the needs of a hearing aid user, the method comprising collecting statistical data characterizing physical or psychological properties of environments in which use of the hearing aid is desired and utilizing the statistical values for the adjustment of the signal processing in the hearing aid.
WO-A1-2007112737 discloses a method for use in the fitting of a hearing aid comprising the steps of providing a sound recording of a user environment, feeding the sound recording to the hearing aid as a sound input signal, processing the sound input signal according to a scheme defined by preselected settings of a number of parameters so as to provide a processed signal, adjusting the setting of at least one parameter, performing a statistical analysis of the magnitude of the processed signal or of the input signal in at least one frequency band, which statistical analysis is reset when a parameter is adjusted during the fitting, and displaying a graphical representation of the results of said statistical analysis.
One problem with the above mentioned systems and methods is that they require significantly increased hearing aid power consumption and a more bulky hearing aid design in order to provide hearing aid based sound recordings.
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a hearing aid system with improved means for recording of audio samples and logging of corresponding hearing aid variables, hereby providing a hearing aid system with improved means for performance optimization without requiring a bulky design or excessive hearing aid power consumption.
Another problem with the above mentioned systems and methods is that the logged data and recorded audio sample are not presented to the hearing aid fitter in a meaningful manner.
It is therefore another feature of the present invention to provide an improved method of fitting a hearing aid system based on providing a recorded audio sample and corresponding logged hearing aid variables to a hearing aid fitting system and presenting these data to the hearing aid fitter.